"in the context of the
current migration crisis, carry out a systematic registration,
including fingerprinting, of third country nationals illegally
entering the Schengen area, whether migrants or applicants for
international protection, and perform systematic security checks
by using relevant databases, in particular SIS II, Interpol databases,
VIS and national police databases, with the support of Frontex
and Europol, and ensure that hotspots are equipped with the relevant
technology. Europol will deploy guest officers to the hotspots
in support of the screening process, in particular by reinforcing
secondary security controls,"

And see:
Paris attacks show flawed use of Schengen rules, ministers confess
(euractiv, link): "The ministers agreed on making these
[border checks] checks mandatory. Moreover, all EU citizens
will be now considered a potential threat, so all EU travellers
will be subject to a stricter scrutiny, including checks
against the Schengen Information System (SIS), as is the case
for all third country nationals. and

"In the last couple of
days, we have witnessed Governments instituting a range of restrictions
against movements of refugees and migrants from Greece through
the Western Balkans and further northwards.

This includes people being
profiled on the basis of nationality. This is becoming increasingly
untenable from every point of view  humanitarian, legal,
and also safety related, not least in light of falling temperatures
and the risks for children and others with specific needs.

These measures by States are
creating tension at border crossings and a domino effect, leaving
in total limbo some refugees and migrants stranded at different
border points..."

And: Tempers
flare at Greek-FYROM border (ekathimerini.com): "Tempers
have flared at Greeces main border crossing with Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), where riot police pushed
back thousands of migrants jostling to cross over, after FYROM
blocked access to people deemed to be economic migrants and not
refugees. Holding their identity papers aloft, several hundred
Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis, who are being allowed into FYROM,
crossed the border Friday morning until police halted the flow
again to ease congestion on the FYROM side. Once across, migrants
head for the nearby Gevgelija train station, to continue by rail
north through Serbia toward wealthier northern European Union
countries. About 3,000 people remain on the Greek side of the
border near the village of Idomeni, including about 1,000 Iranians
and north Africans whom FYROM is not letting in."

EU: Migrant
journeys: respecting the dead (IRR, link): An interview
with Catriona Jarvis, former judge of the United Kingdom Upper
Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), and now a writer/
activist on human rights initiatives.

"Where states fail to
take all reasonable steps to safeguard and identify the dead
so as to enable surviving family to recover, lay to rest and
mourn their loved ones, potential breaches of the right to dignity
and to freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment arise,
as well as failure to respect the right to family life and to
physical and moral integrity of those left behind...

across Europe, and indeed
globally, there is an urgent need for a new visa regime to allow
not only humanitarian visas for those fleeing serious harm, but
also visas to permit lawful movement of bereaved family members
and procedures for repatriation of bodies in such situations."

See also:Statewatch
Viewpoint: In
Potters Fields (pdf) by Catriona Jarvis: A potter's
field, pauper's grave, or common grave, is a term for a place
used for the burial of unknown or indigent people.

News (20.11.15)

Greek police arrest 10 over forged papers
for migrants
(Reuters, link): "This criminal organisation
has provided more than 100 Greek passports and identity cards
so far, charging between 300 and 700 euros depending on the document,"
a police official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He said Pakistani and Afghani nationals were among those arrested.
The fake registration papers had a forged Lesbos police stamp
that meant the holders did not need to have their fingerprints
taken by authorities on the island, he added. The falsified documents
were mostly used to allow the migrants to travel from Greece
by plane. The fingerprints of those arrested would be sent to
Interpol for checks, he said."

Belgium, IOM Seek Solutions to Migration
and Refugee
Crisis (link): "Migration is not a problem or an
issue to be solved, but a human phenomenon to be managed. Turning
the migration challenge into opportunity requires good migration
governance, a broad, durable consensus among a wide constituency,
and coherent coordinated policies among partners, said
Ambassador Swing"

Greek authorities step up identity checks (ekathimerini.com):"Greek authorities have started
supplementary identity checks on immigrants reaching Athens by
ferry from the country's eastern islands, after breaking up
a ring that sold fake identity documents to migrants arriving
on Lesvos. About 1,500 refugees and other migrants who reached
Athens' port of Piraeus early Friday were scrutinized as they
disembarked from the Ariadni ferry. Dozens were taken aside and
driven away in police buses for further checks. The crackdown
followed the arrests on Lesvos late Thursday of about 10 people,
including Afghan, Pakistani and Iraqi nationals, who allegedly
sold forged police identity documents to newly arrived migrants.
Police said the gang was charging 300-400 euros for each document,
and is believed to have been selling up to 500 a day.
That would allow migrants to circumvent the official registration
process, and buy ferry tickets for Piraeus without being screened
by authorities on Lesvos - where most migrants crossing to Greece
from Turkey arrive."

Sweden hits refugee crisis zero hour (DW, link): "Sweden
has reached the breaking point. The country's migration agency
has said it can no longer put a roof over the heads of the high
number of people requesting asylum each day. Richard Orange reports
from Malmö."

Balkan countries close borders to 'economic
migrants' (EUobserver,
link): "Four countries along the migratory route in the
western Balkans have in one day closed their borders to all migrants
except those from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, in a move that
each justified because of restrictions imposed by the next country
in the chain."

'Muslims feel oppressed' after Paris
attacks (The Local.at,
link): "The President of Austrias Islamic Religious
Community has spoken about the consequences of the Paris terror
attacks for Muslims and how frustrated he feels that Muslims
have to constantly distance themselves from terrorists."

Denmark to open refugee camp amid aid
criticism (The Local.dk,
link): "Denmarks first tent camp for refugees is
expected to open this weekend as the nation faces criticism for
diverting international development funds to deal with asylum
seekers within the country."

IOM, UN Call for Additional Reception
Capacity along Migrants Balkan Route (novinite.com, link): "The International
Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday urged the countries
lying along the so-called Balkans route used by migrants and
refugee to reach western Europe to to put in place additional
reception capacity at the points of entry and to allow for decent
and effective accommodation.."

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